6 Unconventional Dining Hall Ice Cream Floats

Unique twists on a childhood favorite.

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Ah, the classic root beer float. What would we do without your creamy frothiness, bubbling around that half-melted vanilla ice cream scoop? The root beer float is a classic, but what happens when you mix it up with different soda and ice cream flavors? We adventured to the dining hall to get creative with some unconventional combos, and now we’re reporting back with the best and worst of our experiments.

6. Mello Yello and chocolate: 5/10

Photo by Naib Mian

Our table-mates insisted that we test out this unlikely combo, simply for its novelty. Surprisingly it wasn’t as bad as we anticipated. The chocolate flavor was accentuated by the contrast with the citrus-y soda. However, it’s still difficult to get over the initial apprehension caused by this float’s clear lack of aesthetic appeal.

5. Cherry Coke and strawberry: 6/10

Photo by Naib Mian

We thought this would be a definite winner, but rather than highlighting each other, the two ingredients seemed to almost cancel each other out, leaving us with a half-frozen mass that lacked discernible flavor nuances. Not awful if you want to play it safe.

4. Mr. Pibb and chocolate: 7/10

Photo by Naib Mian

Surprisingly, the slight spiciness of Mr. Pibb worked well with chocolate ice cream. It reminded us of a Coke and chocolate float, but with a fruitier undertone.

3. Sprite and strawberry: 7.5/10

Photo by Naib Mian

This tasted like creamy strawberry lemonade, and reminded us of a summer’s day. However, be wary of the overwhelming sweetness.

2. Ginger ale and vanilla (with a sprinkle of cinnamon): 8/10

Photo by Naib Mian

We expected this one to be good, and it did not dissapoint. The spicy cinnamon with vanilla was already a brilliant combo, and the tart, not-too-sweet ginger ale complemented the smooth creaminess perfectly, taking this float to the next level.